77 wins tops in 'Hawks' history

Scott Atchison allowed one run in seven innings as Lancaster won its club-record 77th game.

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

Parent's team set another club record Thursday night at Rancho Cucamonga with its 77th win, a 4-3 victory over the Quakes before a crowd of 4,518.

That topped the 76-64 mark set by the 1998 club, managed by Rick Burleson - with 16 games left on the slate.

High Desert swept the 1998 team in the first round of the playoffs.

The win also snapped the JetHawks nine-game losing streak on the road and is their first road win since July 20, a 13-9 win over the Quakes (22-32, 59-65).

With the game tied 2-2 after eight innings, Peanut Williams led off the top of the ninth with a walk from reliever Jeremy Fikac (4-3).

Williams was sacrificed to second on a bunt down the first-base line by Wilfredo Quintana.

Center fielder Harvey Hargrove, hitless to that point, drilled a double down the left-field line to score Williams and give Lancaster (37-17, 77-47) a 3-2 lead. The double extended Hargrove's hitting streak to nine games and scored on a wild pitch.

"I told (Quintana) in the dugout to look for the sacrifice," Parent said. "He went out there and got the bunt down and that's a big play.

"Harvey really came through, though, with the double and scoring on the (passed ball), that was just as big."

Reliever Brandon Parker (4-2) threw the final 1 1/3 innings to pick up the win albeit closely as he needed a double play to end the game after giving up a run.

Lancaster starter Scott Atchison went seven innings Thursday, giving up one run on nine hits to pick up his second consecutive win over Rancho Cucamonga, continuing his success over the club.

"Atch has done a tremendous job for us," Parent said. "He left himself in a good position most of the game and the one run they did score was on a hit off the hands."

On Aug. 11, Atchison went five innings against the Quakes to also earn the win and back on July 21 he gave up one run in seven innings but did not receive a decision.

"I think you get comfortable with a team," Atchison said after the game. "I make the adjustments I need to against these guys."

The game ran scoreless until the seventh, when both teams made marks on the scoreboard.

Freddie May opened the frame with a walk and the team followed with consecutive singles by Bo Robinson, Williams and Quintana.

May and Robinson both scored and a walk to Hargrove loaded the bases for Lancaster with no outs.

But Parent's team failed to capitalize on the situation and put the game out of reach as Antonio Perez struck out, Robert Gandolfo popped out and Craig Kuzmic lined out to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the seventh, Atchison gave up a two-out single to Quakes leadoff man Jeremy Owens. Owens scored on a double by Ben Risinger to pull the Quakes within one run at 2-1.

Uploaded August 18, 2000